Hon. Victoria Tomedi Ndando,
erstwhile Parliamentarian of the Fako East Constituency: first under the CPDM, during the monolithic political era and secondly as an SDF Parliamentarian from the 1997 to 2002 legislature was esteemed for her steadfastne ss, and honesty.
Though now on retirement, not from politics, she took time to talk to The Post about her political experiences; where 16 years of multiparty politics have taken Cameroon.
The Post: Today we are 16 years into multiparty politics in which you have been actively involved. Could we know your experiences as a two-time Parliamentarian?
Hon. Victoria Tomedi Ndando: When you talk of multipartyism, 16 years after, I take it that you mean the re-launching because we had had multipartyism before when I do not think you were yet born. I was a young primary school kid at the time. If I were to talk about my experiences it would be in several facets.
Talking about the 1990s, people had a lot of anxiety, lots of hopes. But today that anxiety has died down. What would you say led to this?
I think that it is wrong for us to assume that what was hoped for in 1990 can never be realised. We are all human beings and each of us appreciates things differently. There is nothing that has happened which should dampen people's thoughts, hopes and aspirations. The political wheel should not be all rosy.
Anybody who genuinely thinks that there should be changes should be prepared for some slowness. Because if you want to change something, you have to change those who are actually reveling in the things you do not like. You would have to give them a chance to understand why you want the change.
I mean you should not expect that Victoria Ndando gets up one morning and gives an order saying this is what I want and expect things to change overnight. There are people who like what is going on because they are benefiting from it.
So it is only natural to expect resistance. And once there is resistance to change, the pace is bound to be slow and I think that, that is what has happened. While expecting others to bend over backwards and accept what you are saying, you should be prepared to give that allowance to the resisting factor. You who want the change should be consistent in your language and in your attitude.
Does this mean you have seen some insincerity from the mass of Cameroonians who are clamouring for change?
Cameroonians can detect insincerity when they see it. They can also detect the fact that some people, while talking change may have their own whims and caprices. I mean many Cameroonians do not like that. In fact, the majority of Cameroonians now like straight talk. If you cannot give somebody a thing, do not promise the person. Since the re-launching of multipartyism, we have seen a lot of that.
We find a lot of political party leaders today in the opposition, tomorrow they are allying with the ruling party. Is this the kind of insincerity and inconsistency you are talking about?
That is what I mean. In the early 90s, with the ushering in of the tripartite talks by President Paul Biya, people could actually see change coming. They knew that change was there. Because when we were marching in the streets of Limbe, the Head of State said, "Oh! You are asking for a sovereign national conference, which room can contain all Cameroonians?
In fact, he used that to bamboozle Cameroonians. Because he knew fully well that that was not what he meant. What he meant was that he was against the sovereign national conference and so he used that blanket term to throw people off track. So later, when he mellowed and said, "Oh!
Tripartite Talks", we had hopes. Some of us really welcomed the motion. But you know as well as I do how the tripartite talks fizzled out. Because some opposition leaders became insincere and that is why the regime in placed went all out to dismember the coordination of the opposition parties, which was, initially, a very strong force to reckon with.
Who are some of these leaders?
I do not want to name names because I do not like to cast aspersions on personalities. I mean a leader is a leader and if he has backpeddled, they only got themselves to blame.
You began by saying that when people want change, they should at some point in time expect some slowness. Now that there is some kind of resistance or slowness and some are losing hope, what do you think should be done?
I believe that whatever was started in 1990, the re-launching of multipartyism should go on. Those who are not men enough or women enough should fizzle out. Cameroonians will see those who are consistent, sincere, who mean business because a lot of us jumped into the bandwagon just for sycophancy. Even in the main opposition party, the SDF.
There are a lot who are falling by the wayside because they jumped in expecting change the very next day. But as I say, we have a living example in South Africa. How long did South Africa have to wait? How long did the most revered African politician, Nelson Mandela, have to wait?
And you know the gamut of what he went through and yet he succeeded because he was sincere, he was consistent; he did not waver and so change came. Now what is wrong with Cameroonians waiting for the right thing instead of all these half measures that are being dished out according to the whims and caprices of those in power? What is happening now is worse than when we didn't have any multipartyism at all, like NEO.
You were a Parliamentarian for five years. Would you say multipartyism uplifted the woman in any way?
Multipartyism has done a lot for the women folk. It has now sensitised the Cameroonian woman to know that she can do a lot more than dancing and preparing meals; than animating. That is exactly what we had during the mono-party system. I was a member of the CNU, the Secretary for the North of England Sub-Section, while I was in Britain.
When I returned home in 1977, I continued my political activities in the CNU. And when CNU was changed to CPDM in 1985, I continued as member of the WCPDM and as Vice President of the Fako Section and eventually in 1998 when the Chairman of the CPDM, Paul Biya, decided to introduce the multi-list system. I went into Parliament as representative of the Limbe Sub-Division.
At the time we had four parliamentarians; one for Limbe, one for Tiko, one for Muyuka and one for Buea. All along, with the exception of a few women who held posts of responsibilities, we were more or less told what to do and when to do it. At the time there was little room for initiative and innovation.
That is what angered me. Three months while in Parliament as a CPDM Parliamentarian, I was disgusted. My colleagues, unfortunately, they are no more: late Francis Ngale knew how I felt; late Martin Eseme of Kumba, knew how I felt. I was disgusted…because while in Parliament, everything was written down.
The discussions would be in camera and the outside world never knew what was going on in the Parliamentary committee meetings. And, of course, since it was the Parliamentary staff that took down the proceedings, of course they would chop and change.
They would only put down what they were told by their bosses.
What has been the experience during your tenure in Parliament in the multiparty era?
There were slight changes. Even though the CPDM, since they always make sure they are in the majority, dominates. Because no matter how much the opposition people talk, even at the point of dying, at the end of the day, when it comes to voting, they end up being in the majority.
And so even if you would want to give your head to be knocked, you won't succeed. These are the drawbacks. It is true we have multipartyism, but when you get to the nitty gritty of things, it is a hollow sham.
Most Cameroonians to a large extent hold our Parliament responsible for the failure of our multiparty politics. What do you say about that?
That assertion is correct in the sense that we still do not have what we of the SDF call devolution of powers. We still have a National Assembly that is subservient to the executive arm of the state. Parliament is a group of people who talk. So as Member of Parliament, you talk on behalf of your people. You do not execute.
And that is why throughout my two terms in Parliament, I did not promise my people that I would do this or I would do that. I did not have the wherewithal to execute anything. All I used to do is spread what I had heard. I would take it to the right quarters. So it is erroneous for a Member of Parliament to begin to promise his people that I will bring you water, I will do this….
Looking at multipartyism 16 years after, what can you say have been the achievements, the failures and which way forward?
The average Cameroonian now knows that they can talk. Nothing else.
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